Life of Shakespeare - Season 1

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Dead Shepherd

1 - Dead Shepherd

Air Date: June 13, 1978

In which Will progresses from ostler to cockerel to ghostwriter - to London's premier playwright as Kit Marlowe falls from grace.

Alms for Oblivion

2 - Alms for Oblivion

Air Date: June 20, 1978

Will's new troupe of actors arrive in a plague-ridden London and perform Richard III to great acclaim, but a death in the family jeopardises all. A handsome rogue is not what he seems, luckily for Will.

Of Comfort and Despair

3 - Of Comfort and Despair

Air Date: June 27, 1978

Plague over, life returns to normal in London and the theatres reopen. The inconstancy of a dark mistress and the jealousy of an Earl conspire to enlarge Will's understanding of human nature.

The Loved Boy

4 - The Loved Boy

Air Date: July 4, 1978

Will's taking his son to London to introduce him to life and get to know him proves to be a mixed blessing with a tragic ending.

Rebellion's Masterpiece

5 - Rebellion's Masterpiece

Air Date: July 11, 1978

In the wake of Essex's failure to tame the Irish rebels, the actors' brush with politics has catastrophic consequences.

The Living Record

6 - The Living Record

Air Date: July 18, 1978

While Will pleads with the dying Queen for suicidal Hal's life, his poems are stolen, printed and distributed without his permission, setting in motion a chain of events that could prove disastrous.